Shoe-lace.



No. 696,440. Patented Apr. I, |902.

T. 0. HOLLAND.

SHOE LAGE.

(Application filed May 29, 1899 (No Model.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 69 6,440, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed May 29,1899. Serial No. 718.779. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS OsBoRNE lIoL- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Laces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.-

The object is, in connection with an ordinary shoe-lace, to providemeans ornamental in appearance and cheap and durable in character which shall protect the lace from wear and abrasion, and thus increase its period of usefulness; furthermore, to render it possible, if desired, to employ hooks or studs over the instep, as well as at the upper portion of the quarters, thereby reducing the labor of lacing up a shoe and also avoiding the strain put upon both the shoe and the lace in pulling the shoe on or oif when only partly unlaced; furthermore, in a simple, practical, and thoroughly effective manner to obviate the catching ofthe garments upon the lace-hooks, a common objection and one that is urged by many against the employment of the same.

/Vith these objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction of a shoelace, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a view in perspective of a shoe in which the lace-hooks are shown as arranged from the vamp to the top of the quarters, showing also my improved lace used in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a detail View, partly in section, of the lace detached from the shoe. Fig. 3 is a View, similar to Fig. 2, of a slightly-modified form of lace.

Referring to the drawings and to Fig. l thereof, A designates a shoe, which may be of any preferred style or design and in which the quarters are in this instance shown as provided with hooks or studs a, extending from the vamp to the top of the quarters; but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement of the hooks or studs, as these may be arranged only from a point about midway of the length of the quarters upward to the top of the same, as is usual. The advantage of the arrangement, as stated, is to reduce the labor in lacing up a shoe and also the avoidance of strain put upon both the shoe and the lace in pulling on or off the shoe when only partly unlaced. The gist of the invention resides in the peculiar construction of the lace, the term lace being used herein generically to include both the lace and the sleeve or cover hereinafter to be described.

In connection with an ordinary shoe-lace B, provided with the usual tips ZJ, I employ a sleeve, shield, or lace-cover B2, the same being slipped over the lace proper and having, preferably, a detachable connection therewith. The sleeve B2 is by preference constructed of coarser or thicker strands than the lace by which to withstand Wear and is to be yielding in character, so that it will not in use be difficult of insertion either through the eyelets or under the lace-hooks. The sleeve may extend from tip to tip of the lace proper or may only be of sufficient length to cover that part of the lace passing through the eyelets and around the hooks, as in shoes of ordinary construction. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminals of the sleeve are unprotected by any tip, and in most cases this will be found preferable; but, as shown in Fig. 3, a collar or tip h2 may be employed, if desired, for the purpose of preventing the ends of the sleeve from unraveling and also to facilitate the insertion of the lace. Vhen used in connection with a shoe employing only eyelets in the upper,the sleeve will entirely fill these, and thereby give a neat and finished appearance to the shoe, and when used vin connection with lace-hooks the sleeve should be of stiffer material than a sleeve used in connection with eyelets alone, the purpose being that the sleeve shall remain outside of or nearly flush with the outer edges of the hooks. It is not essential that the sleeve should completely lill v',or pack the space between the hooks and the quarters, but may, in effect, be quite iiat, so long as it projects from the IOO lace proper sufficiently to prevent any catchordinary eyelets or eyelets and hooks the sleeved lace is peculiarly adapted for use where circular or oblong buttonholes, either worked or plain,are employed-that is to say, Where no eyelets are used. By the soft and yielding surface aorded by the sleeve presented to the Worked or plain lace-openings rapid wear and abrasion of these are avoided.

Itis to be understood thatl do not limit Inyself to the employment of a lace and sleeve each constructed of the same material, as the lace may be made,`say, ot' closely-woven linen thread and the sleeve of loosely-Woven silk or other material; but, if preferred, both lace and sleeve may be made of the same material.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A shoe-lace comprising a lace proper, and an outer sleeve or casing constituting a protector therefor, said sleeve or casing being shorter than the lace proper and arranged thereon in such manner as to leave the lace ends exposed to form the tie, substantially as described.

2. A shoe-lace comprising a lace proper, and an outer sleeve or casing constituting a protector therefor, said sleeve or casing being shorter Ithan the lace proper and removably placed thereon in such manner as to leave the lace ends exposed to form the tie, substantially as described.

3. A shoe-lace, comprising a lace proper, and a sleeve detachably connected with the lace, the ends of the sleeve being reinforced against unraveling, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS OSBORNE HOLLAND.

Witnesses:

HOWARD S. GOODMAN, J. FRED1 .BAECHLER. 

